ACAUT responds to Excise Commissioner

Against Corruption and Unabated Taxation (ACAUT), Nagaland has expressed surprise with the Commissioner of Excise Maongwati Aier’s statement that ACAUT did not seek permission from the excise department for counting the IMFL bottles.
In a statement, ACAUT media cell asked whether the commissioner took “permission from illegal wine-shop owners and bootleggers” before conducting surprise checks and raids. Pointing out that there were many openly selling spurious IMFL/beer in Dimapur right under the nose of the excise department, ACAUT wanted to know from the commissioner what exactly has he done to curb the same.
ACAUT also requested the commissioner to “shut down within 24 hours” all the wine-shops near “Axis Bank, Faith Hospital junction, Khermahal Junction, Super Market area, Signal Angami area, etc.,” masquerading either as mineral water outlets or restaurants and all the wine-shops at Deluxe Point/Bata Charali area, Eros line area, etc., operating as as family restaurants.
ACAUT said all the “bars and pubs, hotels, restaurants” in Dimapur including those located opposite SP office and Popular Bakery area have been openly mocking the excise department in the face all these years.
Unless the Commissioner takes action within 24 hours under Clauses 35, 36, 37, Chapter-4 of The Nagaland Liquor Total Prohibition Act, 1989 where the department was empowered to enter, search, make seizure and arrest, it would be an open admission before the Nagas that selling/serving of IMFL/beer in a prohibited state was possible because the connivance of the department at the highest level with the mafia elements trading in IMFL/beer.
Failure to implement the above would be construed as abdicating responsibility and the commissioner excise should resign, said ACAUT.
ACAUT said the commissioner issuing a show-cause notice to a subordinate officer should not become a case of the “pot calling the kettle black” since the whole excise department was awash with corruption and held the commissioner responsible not just for the “bottle-breaking tamasha” on May 26 but for the whole prohibition farce.
The show-cause notice issued by the commissioner upon a subordinate officer on June 3 was an admission that the department has erred despite the commissioner previously declaring that the “department has done no wrong.”
ACAUT said the state government should take a tough stance and initiate action against all erring officers.